The gift of vocation is not just for the one
who is called, but for all people. This includes, in
a special way, one’s own family and parents. Without the
formation and personal witness of virtues and values received from
our parents, we would never have been able to answer
God’s call to consecrate our lives to him.

Vocation Testimonial, by
Mr. and Mrs. Borkowsky (parents of Rachel Anne Borkowsky)The
journey began when Rachel Anne was 3 years old and
one day came to breakfast wearing a baby blanket draped
on her head and announced that she was going to
be like Mary from now on. Hum, we wondered what
that could possibly mean.

We were a practicing Catholic family and
were introduced to the Regnum Christi Movement through Clear Water
Academy, our school in Calgary, Alberta. During this time Rachel
Anne became involved in Challenge and ECYD and attended many
ECYD conventions and camps. Vocations were something that we talked
about as a family, and so it was not a
surprise that Rachel Anne decided to attend the pre-candidacy summer
program in Rhode Island after 8th grade.

This was the first
time that we had our hearts pierced like Mary’s at
the thought of her leaving home so young. She called
us on the last night of the program to say
she felt that the pre-candidacy was not meant for her
and was coming home. She was, however, interestind in something
called “the coworker program” after high school. True to her
word, she finished high school amid some very challenging and
joyful experiences and entered the program.

We were open and willing
to give her up for a year to the coworker
program, although this was the first time we would be
separated. We are family of four. Rachel Anne has only
one brother, and we have always lived far from any
extended family, and so our “little family” has always been
extremely close. At the time Rachel Anne left for the
coworker program we found ourselves to be empty nesters with
both children away (with one discerning his vocation to the
priesthood. Her coworker year for us was very trying because
of the emptiness in our hearts and home and wondering
what the future would bring.

That Christmas, Rachel Anne came home
and told us she felt called by Christ to follow
him ever more closely. By the way, this happened on
the way home from the airport while we were stuck
in a traffic jam. We thought that meant to give
another year as a coworker, but she said no, she
felt called to consecrated life. Filled with so many emotions,
surprise, joy, and a sense of loss we turned to
her and said we understood with our heads, but our
hearts would need a little time catching up. We knew
from that moment she no longer belonged to us and
that Jesus had spoken to her heart.

We knew her call
was true when she shared with us her experience in
Gethsemane during her coworker pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Rachel
Anne told us that it was at that moment she
realized that Christ had lived, suffered and died for her
and that she was ready to follow Him no matter
the cost. The rest of the coworker year certainly helped
us to detach slowly from our physical closeness, as it
prepared us to let her go freely and follow Christ
as He was calling her.

Now that we had accepted her
vocation, the challenge really began for our family. It is
not in the way one would normally think about a
challenge, in that it was a hard to accept her
vocation. Rather, it was a challenge to us to live
a better life.

As we see Rachel Anne grow in her
love for Christ, it reminds us of the saints and
their love for Christ. Yes, every day presents new challenges,
but with a focus only on Christ as the way,
challenges do not seem so difficult. Rachel Anne has faced
many challenges on her journey to her vocation and she
met them all head on with joy and fortitude. She
has been a shining example of what it is to
be an apostle.

For us, her example is a calling to
face life more directly and accept the challenges we face
every day, hopefully and joyfully! Rachel Anne’s example requires us
to grow in our trust for God’s will in our
lives and to be listening to his gentle nudges. We
know the challenge is not impossible for us, but it
will take continued perseverance and faith.

As a parent your hope
for your children is that they find out what God
is calling them to be. When we look at Rachel
Anne we are assured that she has found her vocation.
The joy that is expressed in her heart and eyes,
as well as in many other consecrated women, tells us
that she has been truly blessed and we in turn
are blessed because of her “Yes.”